Homeless Children's Education Fund

Champions for Children: Silver Jubilee
2024-06-01 17:30 - 21:00 UTC | The Westin Pittsburgh, 1000 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, 15222, United States
Champions for Children is our annual gala to honor local “Champions” for their commitment to improving the lives of children in our region. The gala raises essential funds to further our mission to “advance the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness in Southwestern PA, guiding them to be productive, empowered citizens.”
This year’s theme, Silver Jubilee, we will be celebrating 25 years of service to the community!
We are currently accepting sponsorships and ads for our 2024 gala via email.
View our sponsor packet below or download a copy here.

Winnie's Wagon Christening
2023-11-01 18:00 - 20:00 UTC
After a year and a half of fundraising, designing, and building, we will unveil Winnie’s Wagon, our educational classroom on wheels, at a special dedication ceremony at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh.
In partnership with designer’s Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Winnie’s Wagon will travel anywhere students are experiencing homelessness, providing tutoring sessions, school supplies, wrap-around services and more.
Speakers include Congresswoman Summer Lee and Saleem Ghubril, Pittsburgh Promise

HCEF + The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Project Art Installation Reveal
2023-10-18 17:30 - 19:00 UTC
You do not want to miss this inspiring event celebrating creativity and community. Hosted by First Lady Michelle Gainey and The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Project, this art installation will explore the captivating gallery curated by the talented students of CAPA Middle School. Considering the contest theme of Hidden Stories, the students have created art representing the unseen complexities that are often beneath the surface for young people struggling with housing instability. The winner of this art contest will be announced at our Winnie’s Wagon Dedication Celebration on November 1. And as a bonus, the exhibit will be free and open to the public in the Pittsburgh City-County Building throughout October.
You will also have the opportunity to connect with the generous donors who made last year’s YOU CAN campaign a resounding success. It is your chance to witness the power of collective support!

Champs Sponsorship Reception
2023-10-17 17:00 - 19:00 UTC | Duquesne Club, 325 Sixth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222, United States
HCEF welcomes all sponsors of Champions for Children to a special reception at the Duquesne Club hosted by our Event Chairs, Matt and Katie Helfrich.
This event is RSVP only.

Stand-Up Demonstration
2023-10-03 09:00 - 11:00 UTC | Market Square

YOU CAN. Celebrate
2022-11-17 17:30 - 20:00 UTC | TBD
Join HCEF on November 17th to celebrate the first Homeless Children’s Awareness Month.
Add the event to your calendar to save the date!
RSVP here to get more event updates.

YOU CAN. Toast
2022-10-27 17:30 - 20:00 UTC | Emerald City, 213 Smithfield Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222, United States
Join as they host a young professionals mixer in support of Homeless Children’s Awareness Month.
Enjoy drinks and refreshments at Emerald City, in downtown Pittsburgh.
This is a free event but registration is required. There is limited space available.
Register here: https://bit.ly/youcanregister

YOU CAN. Influence
2022-10-27 12:00 - 13:00 UTC | Virtual
State of Youth Homelessness: A Virtual Forum
Join HCEF in this virtual forum to discuss the state of youth homelessness. Personal perspectives will be shared.
This event will be hosted on zoom and also streamed live on Facebook and Instagram.

YOU CAN. Support
2022-10-16 08:00 - 10:00 UTC
You can support HCEF and work on your fitness goals by signing up for the SLAAM Cares 5K Run/Walk.
A portion of all proceeds will benefit Homeless Children’s Education Fund.
Register here: SLAAM Cares 5K Run/Walk

YOU CAN. Soiree
2022-10-13 17:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Square Café, 134 S Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Join the HCEF staff and board for a cocktail reception at Square Café in East Liberty. Enjoy and evening of connection with cocktails and heavy hors d’oeuvres while listening to music and learning about how YOU CAN refer, donate, and advocate for students experiencing homelessness.
This event is free and open to the public. RSVP is required as there is limited capacity.
RSVP here: https://bit.ly/youcanregister

YOU CAN. Inspire
2022-10-04 10:00 - 11:00 UTC | Market Square
Homeless Children’s Awareness Month
Stand Up Demonstration and Press Conference

Stand with us in solidarity to support the 2,836 students experiencing homelessness in Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh.
After a few moments of silence, HCEF’s Executive Director Ardana Jefferson will host a press conference that includes Mayor Ed Gainey, County Councilman DeWitt Walton and other leaders sharing remarks about ongoing efforts to lift all students experiencing homelessness.
Register here and join us in Market Square.
Check out the other events happening this month by clicking here.

Champions for Children: A Garden Party
2022-06-02 17:30 - 19:30 UTC | Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden, 1 Schenley Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States
Champions for Children is our annual gala to honor local “Champions” committed to improving the lives of children in our region. This year we will be honoring A Plus Schools. The gala raises essential funds to further our mission.
The mission of HCEF is to “advance the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness in Southwestern PA, guiding them to be productive, empowered citizens”.
Join us at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens on June 2, 2022. To purchase tickets, sponsor, or donate visit our event website linked here.
Looking to help out? Consider Building a Basket for our silent auction!

2022 Pittsburgh Marathon
2022-04-29 17:00 - 2022-05-01 17:00 UTC
HCEF is an official charity of the 2022 Pittsburgh Marathon!
You can support by donating, walking, jogging or running for HCEF.
Donate or Register here: https://bit.ly/RunforHCEF
Volunteer at our Race Day Water Station: https://bit.ly/HCEFH2O

Greek Sing 2022
2022-03-26 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall, 4141 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States
Greek Sing 2022 is March 26, 2022 at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall. This event is hosted by the student leaders of Greek Organizations at Carnegie Mellon University. Greek Sing “aims to stimulate philanthropic & community service efforts for the betterment of the Greek community, Carnegie Mellon campus community, and the Pittsburgh Community.”
These students run fundraisers all year to raise money for a selected charity. At the show the Greeks actually sing, performing their favorite musicals for the audience. This is a celebration of all the money students were able to fundraise throughout the year. The total is awarded to the charity at the end of the show.
Homeless Children’s Education Fund is the Greek Sing charity beneficiary for 2022 and 2023.
Visit their website and follow their social media accounts to get the latest information.

Bhangra in the Burgh
2021-11-20 18:00 - 21:00 UTC
HCEF is honored to be this year’s charity for Bhangra in The Burgh!
This annual competition is a spectacular showcase of Bhangra, a traditional form of folk dancing from the Punjab region.
Get your tickets here: https://bit.ly/3vigEPJ

Stand Up for Youth Homelessness
2021-10-22 12:00 - 13:30 UTC
Join HCEF in our annual Stand Up event in Market Square. Volunteers stand in recognition of the thousands of youth identified as experiencing homelessness in Allegheny County.
RSVP at https://bit.ly/HCEFStandUp21
StandUpFlyer_FINAL

HCAW: Downtown Farmers Market
2021-10-21 10:00 - 14:00 UTC | Market Square
Join HCEF in recognition of Homeless Children’s Awareness Week (HCAW) at the Downtown Farmers Market. Stop by to learn how you can advocate and volunteer on behalf of students experiencing homelessness in our region.

HCAW: Lawrenceville Farmers Market
2021-10-19 16:00 - 19:00 UTC | Lawrenceville Farmers Market, 250 40th St, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15201, United States
Join HCEF in recognition of Homeless Children’s Awareness Week (HCAW) at the Lawrenceville Farmers Market. Stop by to learn how you can advocate and volunteer on behalf of students experiencing homelessness.

Town Hall: Identifying Allegheny County's Students Experiencing Homelessness in the COVID Age
2021-07-01 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | RFA – Zoom
Come join Research for Action team members, local education stakeholders, and community members for coffee and conversation at the second Allegheny County Education Research (ACER) Project Town Hall.
Date: July 1st
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Zoom
Pre-Registration Required

This second town hall will highlight RFA’s recent data analysis on Allegheny County’s identification rates of students experiencing homelessness and feature school community members’ leading efforts to fully identify these students in the region.

Brian Knight, Manager of Community Engagement for the Homeless Children’s Education Fund, will be facilitating the panel. Guest speakers include representatives from the Woodland Hills School District, Brashear High School, the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, and a former student experiencing homelessness who will discuss their lived experience.

After the research presentation and discussion, RFA invites attendees to share announcements or upcoming opportunities from their own organizations and work.

PA Youth Homelessness Webinar with Congressmen Mike Doyle and Dwight Evans
2021-06-22 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom
Join us for a webinar on June 22 from 10 AM to 11:30 AM (click to register) presenting new research into youth homelessness, with a panel discussion on policy responses. US Congressmen Mike Doyle and Dwight Evans, of PA’s 18th District and 3rd district respectively, will be co-hosting along with Kathy Desmond of People’s Emergency Center, a shelter in Philadelphia.
Researchers will review findings from the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavioral Survey across 24 states, including PA, and present a case that youth homelessness may be drastically underestimated in PA and across the US.
After, a panel of experts will weigh in on policy recommendations, with a particular focus on effective use of new federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP, or ESSER 3 funding) targeted toward students experiencing homelessness. Panel members include:

Erin Patterson, Director of Education Initiatives at SchoolHouse Connection and national student homelessness expert
Carlos T. Carter, Executive Director of the Homeless Children’s Education Fund in Allegheny County
Gwen Bailey, Executive Director of Youth Service, Inc.
Colleen Landy, Assistant Director of Educating Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness for the School District of Philadelphia (Philadelphia McKinney Vento liaison)

Please join us for some expert discussion on how to serve youth who are too often pushed to the margins. Register Here.

A Night in NOLA
2020-10-21 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | Online
On October 21st, The Homeless Children’s Education Fund, invites you to transport yourself to a virtual Night in NOLA.
From 7:00pm to 8:30pm listen to live music from Pittsburgh jazz artist Lyndsey Smith, enjoy hand-crafted cocktails & tasty bites from The Warren Bar and Burrow.
Learn the history of New Orleans style food and beverage, bid on unique auction items and hear more about HCEF’s mission in the local community.

Eleven Benefit Dinner
2020-06-11 18:00 UTC | Eleven, 1150 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
POST-PONED due to COVID-19. Stay tuned for a new date!

Bierhaus 2
2019-09-12 17:30 - 21:00 UTC | Spirit, 242 51st Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15201, United States
On Thursday, September 12, 2019, HCEF is turning Spirit in Lawrenceville into an indoor beer garden for the second year in a row. You can help the mission of HCEF by indulging in a buffet of Spirit’s famous pizza, having some drinks, and enjoying a live DJ. Your ticket entitles you to two drinks, an all-you-can-eat pizza and salad buffet, and a donation to HCEF. Bring a few friends, or make some new ones, and join us at this fun, casual event.
Get Tickets Here!

20th Annual Champions for Children
2019-03-21 17:30 - 21:00 UTC | Fairmont Hotel, 510 Market St, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222, United States

Give Big Pittsburgh
2018-11-27 00:00 - 23:59 UTC

Bierhaus: An Indoor Biergarten Event
2018-09-13 17:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Spirit, 242 51st Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15201, United States
In Allegheny County, there are 3,500 children experiencing homelessness. The mission of Homeless Children’s Education Fund (HCEF) is to advance the education of those kids experiencing homelessness in our community to give them hope for a brighter future.
On Thursday, September 13, 2018, HCEF is turning Spirit in Lawrenceville into an indoor beer garden for the evening. You can help the mission of HCEF by indulging in a buffet of Spirit’s famous pizza, having some drinks, and enjoying a live DJ. Bring a few friends, or make some new ones, by joining us at this fun, casual event!

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We hope you will join us at Spirit!
For information on sponsorships, visit the sponsorship page.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

Amber Capra, Doctor of Chiropractic (DC)
B Salon+Bar
Bethel Park Printing
New York Life
Oh Joyful Day
Pittsburgh City Councilperson Erika Strassburger
The Priory Hospitality Group
Representative Edward C. Gainey
SEIU
Sue & Scott Gaugler

Hope Through Learning Award Ceremony
2018-07-19 10:00 - 14:00 UTC

Board of Trustees Meeting
2018-06-12 17:00 - 19:00 UTC

Memorial Day (HCEF Office Closed)
2018-05-28

19th Annual Champions for Children
2018-03-05 17:30 - 21:00 UTC | Rivers Club, 301 Grant St., Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, United States
